A Calling 1 | Page 46

ACHIEVE A SIX-FIGURE INCOME ion industry Grow with a highly trusted, values driven force in the construct Kimbel Mechanical Systems installs plumbing, HVAC and electrical systems in large housing projects, including subdivisions, apartment complexes and military housing. The company needs people who want to earn a good living in the skilled trades. Many team members earn six-figure annual incomes. You can begin a career at Kimbel Mechanical right out of school. That’s what Kaedon Baumann did when he started as an apprentice plumber. “I learned about Kimbel when someone from the company visited my high school,” he explains. “I thought about going to college, but taking on a lot of debt and not being guaranteed a job concerned me. Kimbel showed me a path where I could learn a career and be guaranteed a good job.” 44 | FAYETTEVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE It takes four years to complete an apprenticeship, which involves on-the-job training and taking evening classes part- time. Kimbel Mechanical has its own in-house, state-certified plumbing apprentice program. “I knew nothing about plumbing when I started, Baumann says. “It takes patience, and you need to be willing to work and learn.” He recently passed a test to earn his journeyman license. Now he can work on his own, supervise new apprentices and earn more money. “I have a nice truck I bought myself, and I own a house,” Baumann says. “This career means I’m able to live comfortably and can be debt free.” He plans to stay with the company, earn his master plumber’s license and become a superintendent.